Super Grover

Super Grover is Grover as a superhero, one of his many jobs on Sesame Street. His true identity in these sketches is Grover Kent (referencing Clark Kent), a doorknob salesman in Metro City. Super Grover uses his superpowers to help others, though generally he ends up not being much help at all, while they end up solving the problem themselves.

Contents

History

On Sesame Street, Super Grover's attire consists of a cape, with ropes tied around Grover's wrists, a helmet, and a patch with the letter G on his chest. However, in most illustrations, his attire consists of a shirt with the letter G on it, shorts, a cape, and a helmet (supplied by Grover's dad). When he appeared in animated form for The Street We Live On, he wore only a cape and helmet, with no emblem on his chest. In most situations, Grover requires a phone booth to change into his costume à la Superman. One exception, such as in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, enables him to spin himself around until his costume appears, à la Wonder Woman.

Sketch Format

Originally appearing in an ongoing series of sketches devoted to his super heroic feats, Super Grover would crash through a wall bearing his logo whilst being introduced in narration by an announcer (voiced by Jerry Nelson). The "Super-Grover" title appeared on-screen in some segments, while others didn't include it. In Season 24, the title was upgraded to "The Adventures of Super Grover" and included an updated version of his superhero theme, originally written by Sam Pottle. His appearances usually involved trying to help someone in trouble by doing something ridiculous such as saying "Wubba, Wubba." In most cases, the distressed individual would solve their dilemma when he wasn't looking -- and Grover, oblivious, thinks that he has saved the day. Pottle's theme continues to appear as underscores in new street stories and skits.

Super Grover title card.

The Adventures of Super Grover title card.

Popularity

Super Grover's popularity has stretched out to include a number of events and attractions outside of just Sesame Street. In 1998, Sesame Place opened a Super Grover themed roller coaster, the Vapor Trail. The ride invites visitors to enter by way of a telephone booth, to "help right wrongs and do good things." The area near the ride is even decorated with a flower and shrub sculpture in the super monster's likeness.

In February of 2002, the Stage Deli in New York City created a sandwich which was named in Super Grover's honor. Super Grover appeared to unveil the new menu item.

A boy is confused -- his mother told him to take a bus home, but he doesn't know where to find the bus. Super Grover arrives, and they soon discover a sign that says "Bus Stop". The boy suggests that they found the answer, but Super Grover insists that his mother told him to take a bus home, not a sign.

"Grover Kent" comes across a little girl crying because she can't get home. While Grover looks for a telephone booth, the little girl reads the sign she is standing next to and realizes that she is standing next to one. About to use a dime to call her mother, Grover rushes past her and transforms into Super Grover -- after a few times not quite changing into his costume properly. Now, ready for superhero'ing, Super Grover lifts the booth up with the little girl inside and attempts to take her home.

Young Willy Nilly is scared to get his hair cut. Super Grover tells Willy that haircuts are scary, but he must be brave. However, a barber shows them both that haircuts do not hurt, and soon they are no longer afraid of haircuts.

When a little girl realizes that she has too much homework and can't play with her friend, Super Grover offers a number of ways she can resolve the issue. After a few failed attempts at convincing her that his ideas will work, he begins shouting for the boy to break the bad news. During the commotion, the little girl realizes that she can use the telephone to call her friend and explain the situation.

Super Grover crash-lands inside an apartment, and when he sees that the lamp light is on, he decides that he needs to save energy by turning off the lamp. His method to turning off the lamp is blowing the light out, but a girl just turns off the switch.

A fat blue girl loses her wind-blown hat in a tree, but she can't cross the street to get it. Super Grover comes to the rescue, and tries to call the cap back. The girl realizes that she needs a grown-up to cross the street, and with her Aunt Edna she gets her hat back.

Super Grover decides to teach Elmo how to be a super hero. However, Elmo wears his cape the wrong way, which causes him to trip whenever he wants to fly. When this segment aired in Episode 3170, Big Bird introduced it with a poem: "Soon you'll see / Super Grover flying in his cape / and then I'm coming back / so don't put on a tape." (YouTube)

Super Grover intends to fly into the air and wave at the number of the day. He claims that his springy legs will propel him into the atmosphere. After a few boingy jumps, he decides to forget the propelling part and just do the waving part. The following segment presents the number of the day.

Super Grover says that he's going to fly up into the air and point to the letter of the day. He begins by getting a running start, but only propels himself sideways, hurting himself in the process. Leaning on the brick wall for support, he thinks maybe he will forget the flying part and just do the pointing part. The following segment presents the letter of the day.

Telly is in the park demonstrating things you can find when you look up and when you look down. When he looks up, he can hear an object moving at great velocity, which he first assumes to be a bird or a plane. Ultimately, Super Grover crashes down upon Telly and asks if he can point him in the direction that goes up.

During Elmo's quiz, in which he asks whether or not several things wear hats, Elmo deduces that Grover does not wear a hat. But Super Grover does; and he observes that it's a good thing, since Super Grover frequently crash lands out of the sky.

Elmo can't reach any apples in an apple tree, so Super Grover tries to help, first by telling the apples to come down, and then by shaking the tree. Eventually, Elmo finds a stick that he can knock an apple down with.

After Oscar the Grouch leaves En Vogue stranded on Saturn, Super Grover saves the day by flying them through the solar system and back to Earth. Super Grover and Elmo also groove to the repeated lyrics "Go!" for a matte shot that was later used in its own stand-alone segment on Sesame Street and later included on the CD-ROM disc available with Playtime with Grover.

Waiter Grover, too busy to serve Mr. Johnson, hears that Elmo is trying to catch his runaway blanket. In a rare on-screen display of heroic ability, Super Grover leaps off of the ground and into the air to save the day. When he spots his destination, his usual crash is multiplied by a collision with Elmo and Telly.

Ernie leads the audience in a game of "Ernie Says" which includes making various noises. When he asks viewers to make the sound of a police siren, Super Grover shows up to assist with the emergency. Ernie assures him that it's just "us" making the sound of a police car and Super Grover ventures off. He returns after hearing the sounds of a cat, figuring that a kitty must be stuck in a tree somewhere, and again in response to a phone ringing (both cases being Ernie again). Finally, he's so accustomed to Ernie's game that when a lion shows up (Chicago), he thinks the realistic roars are part of the game until he comes face-to-face with the king of beasts.

When Elmo wants to know more about Sesame Street, Super Grover crashes into his closet in Elmo's World. He offers to take Elmo through the time barrier to the Sesame Street that was. Unfortunately, he has trouble flying with Elmo on his back, and must transform into his taxi driver persona instead. Super Grover later appears in animated form.

When the Fairy Godperson changes Elmo into a bird, Super Grover collides with him while flying in the sky. They crash together in Big Bird's nest during a meeting of the Birdketeers. Super Grover swears that the little red bird looks familiar.

When Elmo has trouble trying to decide on a present for Rocco's birthday, Super Grover at first suggests a gift horse (into whose mouth one should never look). After he mulls things over a bit more with his brain, he eventually decides (by way of Miles) that Elmo should give Rocco one of his drawings. Later when Super Grover arrives at the party, he lugs in a large boulder as his present for Rocco.

Gina has just come home with her new adopted baby, Marco. Despite Maria's efforts to secure their time alone to rest, Super Grover crashes through the apartment ceiling to help with the new baby, but it would seem he does not actally know what a baby is. Grover first identifies a pillow and a stuffed giraffe before realizing that the small person on Gina's lap is the baby.

In a PSA for parents watching PBS with their children, the Ready to Learn initiative produced a spot starring Super Grover and his alter ego Grover Kent. Cleo from the PBS series Between the Lions assists him in drawing his superhero logo, which she hangs on the fridge. While the narrative establishes that Super Grover is revealing his identity to the world, the spot encourages parents to proudly display the letters and words written by their children.

Super Grover crash lands in Elmo's World offering Elmo some help. Although Elmo doesn't need any at the moment, Super Grover keeps checking in nearly every time Elmo says the word "help." When he's finally needed, Super Grover is snoozing against the door and spends some time thinking of other professsional helper jobs while Elmo speaks to a lifeguard, a nurse and a crossing guard.

Elmo and Abby Cadabby await the arrival of several boxes that have gone missing from the Christmas Counter-Downer so that Stiller the Elf may restore the countdown to Christmas. Super Grover falls from the sky, having stumbled upon the box for 8 when it got caught in his cape. When Elmo proclaims the finding one of many Christmas miracles, Super Grover counters that it's actually an FAA violation. But since it's Christmas, he decides not to report Stiller, citing that he's tough, but fair.

Super Chicken proves that having a superhero sidekick can be helpful when solving problems. Having caught wind of Super Grover's wish to have a "cute little sidekick" of his own, Horatio bursts out the doors of 123 Sesame Street and offers to take on the role. Super Grover ends up spending most of his day chasing him around and getting the elephant unstuck from various doorways until he ultimately decides to go back to his job at the ballet company.

Grover appears live with Kelly and Chica to celebrate New Year's Eve. For the December 31 appearance, Kelly shows Super Grover how kids can make thier own cape using a pillowcase. Super Grover says it's fitting since he uses his cape to sleep on. When it's time for Play With Me Sesame, the costumed superhero remembers that Grover is on that show, and suddenly remembers that he has some superheroing to do.

Super Grover returns the following day to ring in the new year with a Super New Year's Party. The trio play a game (similar to Beat the Time), sing a song about their New Year's resolutions, and look at Super Grover fan art drawn by Sprout viewers. Finally, Super Grover is awarded the Super Good Egg Award for which he thanks his mommy and daddy.

After Rosita and Elmo have chased after the card Elmo made for a special someone, Super Grover offers to help reacquire it. Swooping up into the sky, Super Grover tries to catch the card which has been taken by the wind. Crashing to the ground, he believes he has failed, until he turns around and Elmo pulls the card off his cape. Super Grover later reveals that he's learned that there are many ways to show love. Elmo and Rosita demonstrate by hugging the supermonster, who leaves to consult his chiropractor.

As Elmo tries to fall asleep at Luis and Maria's apartment, he is startled by a grasshopper chirping. As they investigate what would be best to do with the insect, Big Bird scares it into hiding. Super Grover hears that they need help coaxing the grasshopper out of hiding, so he crashes through the ceiling to offer his services. Attempting to emulate the sound of a grasshopper, he instead moos and attracts a cow. On his way out, he neighs to summon a horse, and the two fall down the hallway stairs as they exit.

Upon hearing the word "help," Super Grover lands on the street to save the day. Chris tells him that the help they need is getting food to those who need it. Grover combines his superhero and waiter personas and becomes "Super Waiter." Chris tells him that one monster cannot fight hunger alone and he would need everyone's help. Super Grover gets inspired and "invents" the food drive.

123 Sesame Street is in desperate need of repairs, much to Gordon's chagrin. Super Grover appears to save the day, but manages to knock a lamp from the wall instead. He tries to open the broken front door using his super huffing and puffing, but to no avail. Gordon shows him how blowing on the doors won't work, but his breath causes both doors to collapse inward. Super Grover, feeling short on breath, hails a taxi instead of flying.

While Mother Goose tries to write some new nursery rhymes, she gets some inspiration from Alan's struggle to open a pickle jar. Super Grover arrives to help with his super strength, but ends up sending the jar flying away and smashing.

In the park, Super Grover spots Pilar yawning, but he thinks she's imitating a tiger, indicating there's one around. She explains she's yawning, which means she's tired and heads home for a nap. Grover finds himself yawning too and hails a taxi, feeling too tired to fly.

Trivia

For Sesame Street's40th season, Sesame Workshop released an online promotion in the style of Facebook titled "Muppetbook." For his profile, Super Grover listed his favorite songs as 3 Doors Down's "Kryptonite" and R Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly."